WELLNESS It is nearly peony season at COA, a time when the flowers' lush layers begin to open — slowly, petal after petal, one layer a day — until suddenly the gardens are gleaming with dozens of huge, radiant blooms. When I think of the creation of this magazine's current theme of wellness, it is the gradual unfolding of the thick peony petal that comes to mind. For those featured in this issue, each revelation seems to open into a new understanding, another path. Peonies, by the way, are an ancient herbal healer in the East and West, China and the Mediterranean, used to enhance mental function, ease nervous conditions, improve liver function, relieve muscle cramps, lower cholesterol, and much more. The unfolding of this issue began with wondering who our alumni MDs are, discovering that for a school without an official pre-med track, College of the Atlantic has educated quite a few medical doctors. Not surprisingly, many alumni combine the best elements of several areas, bridging practice and research in diverse traditions. Peter Wayne '83 begins as a botanical researcher, then finds himself at the cutting edge of medical science, analyzing the health values of tai chi. Steven King '80 stays the course in botanical research for twenty years, shepherding latex from the Amazon rainforest into the medicine chests of those living with HIV/AIDS. Public health efforts on HIV/AIDS in Africa lead Rachel Snow '81 to the streets of Detroit. Meanwhile, Carmen BedardGautrais '07 and Todd Kitchens '06 are forging separate paths bringing integrative practices into institutional settings. From botany to cancer research, from painting to counseling, our students and alumni are continually exploring, questioning, probing — unfolding the petals of the peony to discover more petals, more ideas; sifting and learning and giving back to the world their magnificent presence. – Donna Gold
College of the Atlantic Magazine
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